Research Ethics Application: Burberry Marketing Project, UWL

This assignment presents a student's research ethics application for a marketing project focused on Burberry. The research aims to analyze the impact of internet marketing on consumer buying behavior within the UK fashion industry. The application includes a detailed ethics form (Section A) addressing potential risks, participant involvement, and data confidentiality, along with a data management and storage statement (Section B). The research methodology relies solely on secondary data, utilizing books, scholarly articles, journals, and online resources published after 2015. The student plans to use thematic data analysis to interpret the qualitative data and presents the research questions, objectives, and methods. The application also addresses ethical considerations, ensuring participant consent, confidentiality, and data security, as per the University of West London's guidelines. The student acknowledges the importance of the Data Protection Act 1998 and outlines measures for data storage and disposal.

Secondary Data collection Only
University of West London Research Ethics
You are required to complete an ethics application BEFORE you embark on the data
collection exercise of the research project
Please complete all the following sections:
- Section A: Ethics Form
- Section B: Data management and storage form
RESEARCH ETHICS AND INTEGRITY

RISK ASSESSMENT FORM
Section A: FORM A
For all Undergraduate/Postgraduate Dissertations and Research Projects
Please fill in this form, then SAVE IT AS A PDF and submit as instructed by your supervisor
with your project proposal
Your name: (first) ……………………… (last) ………………………
Student number: …………… Your email address: ……………@student.uwl.ac.uk

PROJECT DESCRIPTON
Please answer the following questions:
1. Do you intend to involve human participants in the conduct of your research? If
no, please skip questions 2 & 3.
Yes☐ ☐No
2. Does your research involve vulnerable adults or under-18s?
☐ Yes No☐
3. Could your research potentially expose you, anyone assisting you, or participants
to emotional harm?
☐ Yes No☐
4. Will your research involve travelling to geo-politically unstable regions/countries
(e.g. areas affected by war, civil unrest, natural disasters, or listed as unadvisable
to travel by the UK government?
☐ Yes No☐
5. Will your research involve access to security-sensitive material? If yes, you must
include a data management statement.
☐ Yes No☐
This proposal must be completed with the assistance of your supervisor. You can
change the size of the boxes (below) by typing or deleting as necessary.
It is very important to convey with clarity:
• Your research questions/the problem/the theme or topic you are investigating
(what you are proposing to do and to find out or to create)
• The methodology or technical approach (for projects comprising in whole or
in part the creation of an artefact) you will adopt – methods, number of
participants, who the participants (if any) will be, survey instruments used
technology and equipment employed etc.; and what questions you are
planning to ask your respondents (if applicable); how you will deal with
technical challenges.
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Title of project ____To analyse the impact of internet marketing on consumer's buying
behaviour in the context of UK fashion industry: A study on Burberry
Name of researcher(s)
_____________________________________Email:[e-mail]
Name of supervisor _____________________________Date:________________________
WHERE APPROPRIATE TO YOUR CHOSEN
TOPIC/RESEARCH:
YE
S
NO N/A
1 Will you describe in writing the main procedures to participants in
advance, so that they are informed about what to expect? A copy of this
must be attached to this application
✓
2 Will you tell participants that their participation is voluntary? ✓
3 Will you obtain written consent for participation and include within this
that they have a right to withdraw at any point? A copy of this must be
attached to this application
✓
4 If the research is observational, will you ask participants for their consent
to being observed?
✓
5 With questionnaires, will you give participants the option of omitting
questions they do not want to answer?
✓
6 Will you tell participants that their data will be treated with full
confidentiality and that, if published, it will not be identifiable as theirs?
This should be evidenced in the consent form and with a signed copy of
UWL’s data management form, attached to this application.
✓
7 Will you debrief participants at the end of their participation (i.e. give
them a brief explanation of the study)? A copy of this must be attached to
this application
✓
If you have ticked No to any of Q1-7, but have ticked box A overleaf, please give an explanation
on a separate sheet.
[Note: N/A = not applicable]
YE
S
NO N/A

8 Will your project involve deliberately misleading participants in any
way?
✓
9 Is there any realistic risk of any participants experiencing either physical
or psychological distress or discomfort? If Yes, give details on a
separate sheet and state what you will tell them to do if they should
experience any problems (e.g. who they can contact for help).
✓
If you have ticked Yes to 8 or 9, you should normally tick box B overleaf; if not, please give
a full explanation on a separate sheet
YES NO N/A
10 Does your project involve work with animals? If yes, please tick box B
overleaf.
✓
11 Do participants fall into any of
the following vulnerable groups?
If they do, please and tick box B
overleaf.
Note that you may also need to
obtain satisfactory DBS
clearance (or equivalent for
overseas students).
Schoolchildren (under 18 years of
age)
People with learning or
communication difficulties
Patients
People in custody
People engaged in illegal activities
(e.g. drug-taking)
Any other groups who could be
reasonably argued as representing
any form of vulnerability – please
specify
12 Will you be accessing materials which may be considered security-
sensitive under the Counter Terrorism Act (2015)?
✓
There is an obligation on the researcher to bring to the attention of the School Ethics
Panel any issues with ethical implications not clearly covered by the above checklist.
PLEASE TICK EITHER BOX A OR BOX B BELOW AND PROVIDE THE DETAILS
REQUIRED IN SUPPORT OF YOUR APPLICATION. THEN SIGN THE FORM.
Please tick
A. I consider that this project has no significant ethical implications to be brought before
the School Ethics Panel.
✓
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B. I consider that this project may have ethical implications that should be brought
before the School Ethics Panel, and/or it will be carried out with children or other
vulnerable populations.
I have received guidance on ethical research practices relevant to my subject as part of my
preparation for this module.
Signed ___________________________ Print Name ______________________
Date _______________
(UG Researcher(s))
Signed ___________________________ Print Name ______________________
Date _______________
(Supervisor)

PART 2
SPECIFICATIONS OF PROJECT
Please answer the following question:
1. Do you intend to use only secondary data in the conduct of your research?
☐ Yes
Introduction to the research
Background
In this digitalized era, companies are adopting different technologies in order to stay ahead
within a business and uses innovative marketing strategy as well. Similarly, using internet
marketing form is considered another form of marketing style that helps a businesses to grab
attention of many customers towards it. The current research also provide an insight into role
of internet marketing and its influence within customer buying behaviour. For that Burberry
is chosen which is deal in fashion industry and also uses range of different marketing
strategy to draw attention of consumers.
Aim – The aim behind conducting this study is to evaluate the impact of internet
marketing on the buying behaviour of the customers of Burberry.
Objectives: -
 To critically review the literature on Internet marketing (IM).
 To evaluate the changing nature of IM and identify the challenges faced in
implementation.
 To explore opportunities provided by IM and identify the impact of promotional
tools.
 To recommend strategies to Burberry for developing effective digital marketing
campaign.
 To recommend strategies to Burberry for developing effective digital marketing
campaign.
Research question
1. What are the theories and frameworks written on Digital Marketing?
2. How is IM changing and what challenges are faced in the implementation of IM?
3. What are the opportunities provided by IM and how impactful are the promotional
tools?
Method
Research design
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The present research is based upon qualitative study and that is why, scholar uses books
and scholarly articles that assist to meet the defined aim of a study. Further, descriptive
research design will be used by scholar in order to present the results in effective manner.
The chosen strategy also assist scholar to conclude reliable outcomes and helps to analyse
the role of internet marketing within customer buying behaviour so that relevant
information can be collected.
Materials
Research uses only secondary data collection method in which scholar uses relevant
books, scholarly articles, journals and internet published after 2015 so that scholar will
collect fresh and relevant information.
Analysis
In order to identify the role of internet marketing upon consumer buying behaviour,
researcher will use thematic data analysis because it will effectually analyse the
qualitative data. In this, different images will be used in order to present the findings in an
effective manner. Thus, with the help of chosen strategy, scholar is able to identify the
views of selected respondents and this in turn assist to conduct the study in precise
manner.

Section B: RESEARCH ETHICS AND INTEGRITY
DATA MANAGEMENT AND STORAGE STATEMENT
All applicants should familiarise themselves with the Data Protection Act 1998, and adhere to
its principles in all aspects of their research:
http://www.uwl.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Departments/About-us/Web/PDF/policies/policy-on-
data-protection.pdf
Research data covers a broad range of types of information (see examples below), and digital
data can be structured and stored in a variety of file formats.
EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH DATA
Some examples of research data:
Books
Scholarly articles
As a student or member of staff undertaking a research project, I understand that I am
responsible for the following:
 The security and confidentiality of all data collected
 Mitigating all risks to anonymity, privacy and confidentiality posed by all kinds of
personal information storage, processing, including computer and paper files, e-mail
records, audio and video files, and any information that directly identifies an
individual. It is recommended that data be anonymised at the point of collection.
I will ensure that:
 Data and codes and all identifying information will be kept in separate locked filing
cabinets/files and working files will contain no identifying information, and will only
be accessed by one or two persons
 All audiotapes will be transcribed using codes or pseudonyms for identification of
individuals and destroyed upon completion of the research project
 Access to computer files will be available by password only
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 Research data will be stored for up to 5 years after the end of the project, after which
they should be disposed of safely.
Name:
Application ID:
Project title: To analyse the impact of internet marketing on consumer’s buying behaviour in
the context of UK fashion industry: A study of Burberry